Thursday, December 15, 2011

Chevrolet Will Donate Special Camaro at Army-Navy Game

Chevrolet Camaro
Image by cedmars via Flickr

At Saturday’s 112th Army-Navy Game presented by USAA, Chevrolet will announce that proceeds from next month’s sale of a special Military Tribute Camaro will go to the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans.

Chevrolet is the official vehicle of what has been called “America’s Game,” which begins at 2:30 p.m. EST on CBS and the Armed Forces Network from FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

Chevrolet is hosting several military families and Achilles team members at the game, and is paying tribute to wounded servicemen and women and the team with a 30-second TV spot and a short tribute to members who participated in the recent Detroit Free Press / Talmer Bank Marathon. An accompanying article at chevy.com/military profiles hand cyclist Lance Cpl. Justin Gaertner of Pasco County, Fla., who lost both legs while serving his third tour in Afghanistan.

“We at Chevrolet want to do all we can to show our gratitude to the men and women serving in our armed forces, those who come home with life-changing injuries, like Cpl. Gaertner, and our fallen heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country,” said Chris Perry, vice president, Chevrolet Global Marketing and Strategy.

CBS Sports will show the car in a segment with GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate; Genna Griffith, director of the Achilles Freedom Team, and team members. Last year at the game, Chevrolet donated a Silverado HD pickup to the Achilles team to transport athletes’ hand cycles and other equipment.

The Military Tribute Camaro represents all five branches of the armed forces (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard) and some of the military’s highest individual awards and current campaign medals. It will be sold by Barrett-Jackson, an auctioneer of collector vehicles, at its Jan. 17-22 event in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The car was designed by award-winning artist Mickey Harris. Harris, who grew up on military installations, has been airbrushing for 33 years and has an extensive portfolio of military art that has earned him worldwide acclaim.

Chevrolet’s support for military men and women includes:

Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans: The Achilles Freedom Team helps wounded veterans of all services overcome their injuries through mainstream athletics, primarily marathons. It has doubled in size since 2010. This year, Chevrolet underwrote a portion of Achilles costs for participating in the Los Angeles, Boston and Detroit marathons, as well as other events. Chevrolet also has donated 20 hand cycles to the team.

Cell Phones for Soldiers: Chevrolet actively supports this program that provides phone cards to service men and women. During Chevrolet Military Appreciation Month in May, Chevrolet raised $212,000 (100,000 hours of talk time) from the auction of the Honor and Valor Limited Edition Camaro SS and Chevrolet donations of $100 for every car and truck sold. Since 2010, Chevrolet has collected more than 70,000 used cell phones, generating about 70,000 hours of talk time.

Travis Manion Foundation: The GM Foundation gave $250,000 to this foundation that assists veterans and the families of fallen heroes. Its namesake is First Lt. Travis L. Manion, killed in 2007 in Iraq by sniper fire while defending against an enemy ambush. Every September 11, the foundation brings local communities together for a 9/11 Heroes Run to remember, honor and support service men and women, police, firefighters and first responders.

GM Military Discount Program: Considered the most generous military discount program in the industry, GM offers GM Preferred Pricing (the same price extended to GM suppliers) on any Chevrolet (except Volt), Buick or GMC. Through October, GM sold 12,389 vehicles: The Chevy Silverado, Cruze and Camaro were the most popular.

Chevrolet also sponsored 19 air shows across the United States this year, eight of them on military installations. In addition, about 8,500 service members, their families and guests at the Naval Air Station in Mayport, Fla. were treated to a private concert starring country singer Brad Paisley.

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